Taco Bell’s website describes its Cheesy Double Beef Burrito as having “seasoned rice, seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, fiesta strips, three cheese blend, reduced fat sour cream wrapped in a warm tortilla.”

Oh, I’m sorry. I copied and pasted the ingredients for Taco Bell’s Beefy Melt Burrito.

Here’s what the website says the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito has: Double the seasoned beef as compared to a Crunchy Taco, seasoned rice, nacho cheese sauce, fiesta strips, reduced fat sour cream, and a three-cheese blend wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

Hey, wait a minute. So the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito is a beefier Beefy Melt Burrito, or a Beeeefy Melt Burrito, if you will.

If you’re a regular Taco Bell-er I’m sure you already recognized this. And being so astute when it comes to all things Taco Bell, you probably knew there was a Cheesy Double Beef Burrito before that didn’t have the fiesta strips and sour cream.

As for how it tastes, well, the first thought that popped into my head after taking a bite was that it tastes like what I imagine is the textbook flavor definition of Taco Bell. And that’s because there’s nothing unique about the combination of ingredients, nor is there something that makes this product special, like Frito-Lay chips or a new sauce.

If you’ve eaten many different Taco Bell products over the years, there’s a 99 percent chance that you’ve eaten something with the combination of seasoned beef, seasoned rice, nacho cheese sauce, three cheese blend, and reduced fat sour cream. And let’s face it, the seasoned rice is more for filler than flavor, and the three cheese blend’s flavor gets lost when paired with nacho cheese sauce. So the ingredients that really get noticed here by my tongue are beef, nacho cheese, and sour cream, and I don’t have enough fingers to count the number of times those three ended up in the same product.

I will admit I was surprised by this burrito’s heft. I guess having double the seasoned beef as a crunchy taco makes a difference. Also, the fiesta strips still had some crunch even after I drove home and took photos.

Is it good? Yeah, it’s good. Is it inventive? No. Would I order it again? If I could buy it at the $2 advertised price, definitely. Even at the $3.59 price I paid because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where everything is more expensive, I probably would.

Purchased Price: $3.59
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 620 calories, 30 grams of fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 1440 milligrams of sodium, 64 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 24 grams of protein.

Taco Bell’s latest offering features Nacho Fries topped with steak, nacho cheese sauce, tomatoes, reduced-fat sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and the new White Hot Ranch Sauce.

Yes, that combination of ingredients, minus the White Hot Ranch, seems familiar. I’m probably going to have to look through our entire review archive to find out what it is. Give me an hour or so.

(Seconds later)

Oh, they were in last month’s Steak Nacho Fries Burrito. So this new menu item, which is also available in burrito form, is basically last month’s menu item, except the chipotle sauce is swapped for the White Hot Ranch Sauce. I expect this reusing of ingredient combos from Taco Bell, but not with back-to-back products.

Since I imagine many of you have an idea of how most of this menu item tastes, let’s focus on the White Hot Ranch Sauce. The best way I can describe it is to say its flavor and heat remind me of Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos, but I’m not saying they taste alike. With the chips, they were basically spicy Cool Ranch Doritos where the Flamin’ Hot’s flavors didn’t come into play. And with this sauce, it’s pretty much a spicy ranch. It has a noticeable tanginess with some heat, but there’s no flavor from that kick. With that said, it’s a tasty addition to the vast Taco Bell sauce lineup, and I enjoyed it enough that I found myself trying to scrape up as much as I could from the bottom of the container.

As for its spiciness, I’d put it at a lower mid-level heat. But I wonder if it might’ve been higher if the somewhat soothing sauces of nacho cheese and sour cream weren’t there.

When I first read about these topped Nacho Fries, I thought, “Did Taco Bell get rid of its Spicy Ranch and replace it with this new spicy ranch? Or is this Spicy Ranch, but with a longer name?”

No and no. Taco Bell now has two spicy ranch sauces available.

What’s the difference? The older one has habanero peppers, while the newer one has ghost chile powder, which makes it slightly spicier. Ohhhh, now I get it, “white hot” = “ghost chile.” I should’ve put dos and dos together.

I noticed a few other things about the menu item as a whole. While as tender as it always is, the steak tasted different to me. It was low…okay, it’s always been somewhat low quality to begin with, but it had a slightly less meaty flavor. Also, I will repeat what I wrote in my Steak Nacho Fries Burrito review. I really liked the tomato’s acidic bursts, which bring fresh, tasty moments that cut through all the savoriness and spiciness.

Overall, the combination of most of the ingredients in Taco Bell’s Steak White Hot Ranch Fries isn’t new, but the addition of the White Hot Ranch Sauce makes it worth a try.

Purchased Price: $5.79*
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 510 calories, 33 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 1040 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

What is the Taco Bell Steak Nacho Fries Burrito?

It features the returning Nacho Fries with steak, tomatoes, reduced-fat sour cream, cheddar cheese, chipotle sauce, and nacho cheese sauce inside a warm flour tortilla.

How is it?

Well, it depends on how tired you are of Taco Bell’s creamy chipotle sauce. I’m fine with it because it’s still tasty to me, but it sure seems as if it’s been in every product the chain has put out over the past six months. So I wouldn’t be surprised if there are folks whose taste buds have grown bored of it. Last September, it came with the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco. Last November, it was in the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito. In January, it was nestled in the Chipotle Cheddar Chalupa. And, last month, it was squirted into a Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco. But if you’re like me and still enjoy that smoky, slightly spicy sauce, then there’s a great chance you’ll like it in this burrito.

Along with the creamy chipotle sauce, the other highlight of this menu item was, and this is going to be hard to believe, the tomatoes. Yes, they’ve been in DOZENS of previous products, and I don’t think I’ve ever considered them a highlight. But the bites I enjoyed the most were the ones where the acidic explosion from a tomato happened on the backdrop of the chipotle and nacho cheese sauces, which created something like tomato queso.

The flavors of the headlining ingredients – the steak and Nacho Fries – come through with most bites, but the sauces stand out the most. The steak was, as usual, unusually tender. And, despite hanging out with three different sauces in the flour tortilla, the handful of fries surprisingly had some crispiness to them.

Anything else you need to know?

You’re not alone if you thought to yourself, “Is the Taco Bell Steak Nacho Fries Burrito new?” I confused it with the Loaded Taco Fries Burrito I had last summer that had seasoned beef, Nacho Fries, crispy red strips, lettuce, nacho cheese sauce, spicy ranch, tomatoes, and cheese.

Also, while we’re comparing burritos, I felt that this one wasn’t as hefty as the Loaded Taco Fries Burrito because it appears to have fewer fries stuffed in it. Of course, your fry stuff-age may vary.

Conclusion:

If you want to celebrate the return of Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries, its Steak Nacho Fries Burrito is a delicious way to do so.

Purchased Price: $4.59*
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 520 calories, 27 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 1140 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 17 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

What are the Taco Bell Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos?

The recently released Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos now has its own Taco Bell Doritos Locos Taco shell. It’s available with a regular Crunchy (seasoned beef, lettuce, and cheese) and Crunchy Supreme (seasoned beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream) taco. There’s also a Doritos Cheesy Gordita Crunch with the spicy tangy shell.

How are they?

Well, let me start with a few thoughts about Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos, the tortilla chips. I didn’t review them on the site, but I think I loved them slightly more than our reviewer did. I know it’s only February, but they are my favorite snack of the year so far. If you haven’t had them, they’re basically Cool Ranch with a noticeable kick. The tangy seasoning helps tone down the spiciness to a Flamin’ Not-Too-Hot, but that’s what makes the chips so hard to put down. There’s no need for beverage breaks that I have to take when eating regular Flamin’ Hot snacks, and I can just keep shoving them into my mouth.

This Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco shell is almost as outstanding as the chips. It has the same flavor profile — spicy Cool Ranch – although the flavor and heat are slightly less potent than the chips.

Even with the seasoned beef, the tangy seasoning comes through. Actually, I think the Cool Ranch shines better on this shell than what I remember from the original Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco (R.I.P.). Like the chips, the ranch seasoning tones down the Flamin’ Hot’s fieriness, and the taco’s vegetables (and the sour cream in the Supreme) affect the spiciness slightly more. But overall, I love the flavor and heat of these tacos, and I could probably eat a Party Pack of them. It’s my new favorite Doritos Locos Taco variety.

Anything else you need to know?

These are available for a limited time, and that makes me sad. I guess after they’re gone, I could publicly complain, get others to complain, and, if there’s enough of us, maybe Taco Bell will bring it back like the Mexican Pizza. Or perhaps it’ll return periodically like the Nacho Fries. Or maybe it’ll disappear from the face of the Taco Bell menu forever like my previous D.L.T. favorite — the Fiery Doritos Locos Taco (which, by the way, was spicier than this).

Conclusion:

If you enjoy Flamin’ Hot Cool Ranch Doritos as much as I do, then these tacos are a no-brainer. If you love these tacos, eat a lot, because I really want them to return.

Purchased Price: $2.29 (regular) $2.99 (Supreme)*
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: Regular – 170 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 23 milligrams of cholesterol, 370 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 8 grams of protein. Supreme – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 380 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

What is the Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco?

Taco Bell brings back its Crispy Chicken and puts it in a flour tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and your choice of avocado ranch or creamy chipotle sauce. The protein is crispy, white-meat chicken that’s marinated in jalapeño buttermilk, seasoned with Mexican spices, and has a tortilla chip coating.

How is it?

I loved the previous product that featured the Crispy Chicken – the Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco. But it was small and quite basic, with the regular one having just the chicken and chipotle sauce in a flatbread.

The Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco is slightly more substantial. But if you look at the ingredients, it’s basically a Crispy Chicken Soft Taco Supreme, except the sour cream is replaced by a different sauce. The flavors from the vegetables and cheese also made this taste Taco Supreme-esque.

So far, I’ve been on Team Crispy Chicken, and this product doesn’t change my mind. On its own, it has a great taste and fantastic crunch, and those attributes still come through in this menu item. After trying both varieties, I prefer the Creamy Chipotle one. I enjoy the smoky and spicy sauce’s flavor, and it pairs well with the chicken’s seasoning. As for the Avocado Ranch, even though there was a decent amount of sauce despite what my photo shows, it was a little difficult to notice, making the taco less flavorful than the chipotle one.

Anything else you need to know?

Before I saw pictures of the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco, I had images in my head that this would have the white corn tortilla shell that came with last year’s Cantina Crispy Melt. But sadly, this is not the Cantina Crispy Crispy Chicken Taco. But I’d totally eat the Cantina Crispy Crispy Chicken Taco if it ever gets made.

Also, you might end up with a stubby piece of meat as I did with the chipotle one. Its length was shorter than half a tortilla. But since it was thick, I cut it in half lengthwise and made the chicken stretch from end to end. So just a heads up, you might end up with a couple of meatless bites if you don’t check under the tortilla.

Conclusion:

Although not much imagination went into the Cantina Crispy Chicken Taco, it’s a solid product that highlights the chicken strips.

Purchased Price: $3.89*
Size: N/A
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Avocado Ranch), 7 out of 10 (Creamy Chipotle)
Nutrition Facts: Creamy Chipotle – 270 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 690 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein. Avocado Ranch – 270 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 700 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.